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Samsung Galaxy S7 Review

In 2015, Samsung finally took design seriously. By doing so, they created a line-up of Galaxy S and Note phones that featured metal frames and glass panels with jewel-like appearances, on top of next-level specs. The S6 series, along with the Note 5, were nothing short of amazing. They were all, without a doubt, phones that few could match up to not only in 2015, but maybe even beyond. It was the first time we were able to look at a phone (or phones) and realistically say, this phone might be better than phones released a year from now. OnePlus claimed they were making the 2016 flagship killer, but in reality, it was Samsung.

Now that we are in 2016 and Samsung’s first two flagship phones are out – the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge – one has to wonder if Samsung has bested their previous efforts? Or better yet – has Samsung done enough from last year to this year? After spending the past couple of weeks with the Galaxy S7, I can safely say that they certainly have in many ways. The Galaxy S7 fixes all of the issues we had with the Galaxy S6, yet still puts forth an even better overall design.

As I mentioned, I have had the regular S7 and am about to tell you all about it. If you were looking for the full Galaxy S7 Edge review, Tim will have that shortly. Edit: Our Galaxy S7 Edge review is now ready. You can read it here.

For now, this is our Samsung Galaxy S7 review.

The Good

Design

Samsung is so good at design right now. Who thought we would ever say that, eh? But seriously, look at the phone above. I don’t even like gold, yet this phone in particular is such a stunner. The black and silver models are as well, by the way, I just happen to be reviewing a gold model. Those reflections, the jewel-like aesthetic and subtle curves, and that feeling that you are holding something of value that isn’t just another piece of “airplane grade” metal, all add to the aura of a phone that could mesmerize you for periods of time. The design of the S7 has depth, polish, and shine in its glass, with a sand-blasted, matte-like coating to its metal. Take a minute to stare into the reflections of the Galaxy S7 and you’ll quickly realize that there is no other phone on the planet this well-made.

In a move I can’t praise enough, Samsung also ditched the flat back of last year’s S6 and went with a Galaxy Note 5-styled backside curve. You can see it in the image below, where the right and left sides of the back cascade around to the metal frame, which really aid in fitting the phone perfectly to your hand. Because of that shape, you never really feel like an edge even touches you. It’s an incredible touch to an already well-thought-out design.

Speaking of fit, the Galaxy S7 is a smallish 5.1-inch phone, so it can easily be used with a single hand, something that can’t be said for most flagship phones these days. Samsung deserves praise for not growing the Galaxy S7, or at least giving people size options by offering a slightly bigger S7 Edge alongside the regular S7.

Of course, the design isn’t perfect. The glass on both front and back are prone to massive amounts of fingerprints and the single, bottom-firing speaker is easily covered when holding the phone in landscape. If you can handle those two issues, though, and I think most can, I can’t imagine you’ll find another problem here.

Specs

I mentioned in the opening that last year’s line of phones from Samsung was about as future-proof as you could get, which meant they would have a tough time really upping the ante this time around. They managed to do so by upgrading almost everything across the board. We have a new Snapdragon 820 processor from Qualcomm, improved Super AMOLED quad HD display, 4GB RAM, bigger 3000mAh battery, internal storage that is joined by a microSD slot, fast wireless charging next to fast wired charging, IP68 water resistance, and a 12MP camera with new Dual Pixel technology. They didn’t miss a thing, which we couldn’t say about last year’s phones. I honestly don’t know what else Samsung could have put into this phone, outside of a USB Type-C port, or maybe an IR blaster (for some). We talk a lot about manufacturers not making the perfect phone or always leaving a “but,” yet this phone doesn’t really have one. I’ll stop short of calling the S7 the perfect phone, but it’s damn near close, at least on paper.

Take one look at the display comparison below and try to convince me that the 5.1-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED display on the Galaxy S7 isn’t leaps and bounds ahead of everyone but the Galaxy Note 5. You can’t, it’s OK. Look at the brightness to the white of the Nexus 5X pictured there, plus the punch of the pink in the top of Chrome, and the pure grey that isn’t yellowish (Moto X) or so dark that details are hard to pick up (6P). The brightness and clarity also carry through at all angles, even the steepest we can capture, never showing weaknesses or dimming. It’s so impressive.

In case you were wondering, in these images, you are seeing each device at full brightness, in Chrome, with no other adjustments.

That color reproduction, brightness level, and punch are a part of the experience elsewhere as well. When viewing your recently taken photos, videos on YouTube, or your favorite games, you’ll be hard-pressed to not come away thinking as I am now – that this is the best smartphone display ever used.

Camera

“Point. Shoot. Point. Shoot. Point. Shoot. Enjoy.”

Those were the exact words I used to describe the camera in the Galaxy S6 last year. With the Galaxy S7, it’s more like “Shoot. Shoot. Shoot. Shoot. Shoot. Enjoy.” I say that, because the autofocus with this 12MP “Dual Pixel” f/1.7 camera is so insanely fast, that you might not even realize it has focused, which means you can just shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot, and shoot.

Let’s back-up for a minute, though. With the S7, Samsung has dropped the resolution of the camera down from 16MP to 12MP. You could complain about the loss there, but it’s not like when HTC decided a couple of years ago to drop to a ridiculously low 4MP. With the S7, you still have plenty of resolution to work with at 12MP, meaning you’ll be fine in the editing room, cropping pictures (to an extent), printing them for a wall, and sharing them with the world.

Samsung dropped to 12MP, because they are using a new sensor with this “Dual Pixel” technology with bigger micron pixels. The camera is now using those those 1.4 micron pixels, up 56% in size from the micron pixels of the S6, to capture more light in darker moments, and overall, perform better in tough situations. As for the “Dual Pixel” talk, Samsung is attempting to split every single pixel into two photodiodes, to allow for better phase-detection. And that right there, is why the autofocus is so scary fast. It’s one of those items you have to experience to believe.

As for the software of the Galaxy S7, it’s pretty standard stuff for Samsung, but that means it is quite robust when compared to other smartphone camera experiences. You have your shutter, video, and camera-switch buttons on the right side, along with various settings on the left. The camera resolution can be adjusted from the 12MP to lower resolutions at both 4:3 and 16:9 ratios, you can record video in 4K if you want, and there are options for “Motion” photos and tracking autofocus. Samsung is also including full manual controls, live broadcasting, slow motion capturing, panoramas, and a whole bunch of other modes that could come in handy from time to time. If you want the full camera experience for both pros and casual photogs, Samsung has it.

When we are talking actual results, I kind of can’t help but be impressed by the whole package here. The camera is insanely fast to launch (double tap on the home button), even faster to focus, and maybe even faster yet at snapping photos. There are times when shooting with this camera that you may not even realize it has snapped a photo because it is that quick. Want to snap multiple photos in a row? Tap away.

Unfortunately, during the past two weeks in Portland, it has rained almost every single day, so my sample photos are all under similarly dreary and wet lighting conditions. While that may be ideal for some photographers, I tend to like shooting photos of objects when I’m not getting dumped on and there is light from the sun to add shadow and variation. But, this is what we were dealt and so we ran with it.

And here is a look at low light performance in gradually increasing light.

I know I keep saying this, but I think what impresses me the most is the speed here. There is no better example than the photo of the “Dumping Rubbish Prohibited” sign, where the Galaxy S7 also managed to capture four moving cars in the background. Those are four cars traveling at 60 mph on I-5 here in Portland, yet this camera makes it look like they are standing still, with almost no blur.

I also really like that this camera seems to capture what your eye is seeing, without a bunch of over-processing and blown out colors. There are times when photos come out a bit overexposed, but not enough for me to worry, especially knowing I can snap two or three photos in a couple of seconds. At least one of them should be excellent.

Finally, in low light, I think it’s pretty obvious that this camera will shine during those previously-difficult moments for smartphones. In the four images above, even the darkest of situations presents colors of this toy accurately, if not noisily. As you go across the whole series, though, even in the final photo, which is actually quite dimly lit, the camera snapped a fabulous photo.

When you buy a smartphone looking for an incredible camera, you want it to be fast at all times, yet also versatile, while taking photos you would be proud to share. The Galaxy S7’s camera is all of that and then some.

Performance

Thanks to its Snapdragon 820 processor (which is quad-core, by the way), Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow, 4GB LPDDR4 RAM, and what I can only imagine are a bunch of enhancements to Samsung’s TouchWiz skin, the Galaxy S7, for now, runs flawlessly. We’re talking buttery smooth transitions in and out of the camera quick launch, into apps, back home again, into a game and back out, and even after streaming music while on a run with Runkeeper tracking by GPS and the camera being opened and closed for testing. In two weeks, I have yet to see this phone stutter, lock up, or frustrate me enough to force a reboot.

With that in mind, we are talking about the performance of this phone right now – today. In two months or six months or a year, after the phone receives an update or three, we don’t know if that will change. Last year, the Galaxy S6, after its first big update, turned into a lagfest that left the phone almost unusable at times. In Samsung devices before that, we saw similar situations play out. I’m not saying that the Galaxy S7 will see a similar fate, because the Galaxy Note 5 runs fine to this day, but you should be aware of the history. Samsung isn’t the best at updating its phones and they certainly haven’t been the best when it comes to improving performance over time.

Here’s to hoping the Galaxy S7 sticks to today’s experience, because it is one of the most enjoyable.

Fast Wireless and Wired Charging

Last year’s S6 and S6 Edge featured both wireless charging and fast wired charging. Later in the year, Samsung then introduced fast wireless charging to the S6 Edge+ and Galaxy Note 5, so it only makes sense that they continue on and provide the same with the S7 and S7 Edge. You’ll need a special wireless charging pad with fast charging enabled in order to get the faster wireless speeds, but since Samsung is using Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 2.0 in the Galaxy S7 (those equipped with the Snapdragon 820), you likely have a charger or four that will get you those fast wired speeds. Samsung is still making the only major phones on the planet (at least in the US) that offer both fast wireless and wired charging. Think about that for a second.

With fast wired (QC 2.0) charging, you are looking at re-filling your phone with hours of juice in a matter of minutes. Instead of charging your phone to full over a couple of hours, you can get there in about an hour. Fast wireless charging is similar, though not quite as fast. However, normal wireless charging speeds are painfully slow, so while you won’t fast wireless charge a depleted device in an hour, you can do so in well under two hours.

If you were looking for one problem in this area, you could argue that Samsung leaving out Quick Charge 3.0 – the newest standard from Qualcomm – was a mistake. The Snapdragon 820 in the phone should open the Galaxy S7 up to QC 3.0 speeds (45% more efficient than QC 2.0; up to 80% charge in 35 minutes), but Samsung left it out and limited the phone to Quick Charge 2.0. We don’t know why, other than the fact that Samsung ships the Galaxy S7 internationally with an Exynos processor that wouldn’t be able to take advantage of QC 3.0. Samsung, more than likely, wanted its phones to be somewhat standard across the board with charging speeds instead of the US models getting a slight advantage.

In the end, we aren’t talking about a massive speed change. Quick Charge 2.0 is plenty fast, it’s just that if the new technology is available, we would have liked to have seen Samsung use it.

Fingerprint Sensor

The fingerprint sensor in the Galaxy S7 is as good as ever. Once your fingerprints are learned (up to 4 are allowed), unlocking the phone is incredibly quick. I don’t know that I would consider it to be as fast as the implementation of the Nexus 6P or G5, because you do have to wake the phone before your finger can be read, but it’s quick.

I rarely run into mis-reads or have to place a finger back on the phone after thinking it should have been unlocked and that’s all you can ask for. We’ve come so far with fingerprint readers that it pains me to think back only a few years where manufacturers (including Samsung) were asking us to swipe across them in order to unlock a phone. Now it’s just a tap and quick hold – unlock.

The only issue I have with Samsung’s implementation is the number of taps required to learn your finger. This is me nit-picking a bit, since once a setup is complete, it’s not like you ever have to go re-teach the phone a finger, but it takes around 15 or 16 taps in order to complete a fingerprint setup. On the Nexus 6P or G5, it takes all of 6 or 7 taps. It might also be nice if Samsung let you add more than four fingerprints. For example, I have setup both thumbs and both index fingers, but what if I wanted to also add my wife’s fingerprint or a middle finger? I can’t.

Overall, the fingerprint reader in the Galaxy S7 is one of the best in the business. I would highly recommend you take advantage of it as well, along with Android’s Smart Lock, to give your phone security and some flexibility in terms of not having to scan a finger every time you unlock your phone.

Samsung Pay

Samsung Pay is the best mobile payment system in the business. It just is. I’m a big fan of Android Pay, but Samsung Pay is the only payment system with Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST), which allows it to pay for items at standard credit card terminals that aren’t equipped with NFC chips. Because of that, you can pay almost anywhere. Android Pay and Apple Pay are limited to retailers, restaurants, gas stations, etc. that have upgraded their terminals with NFC, while Samsung Pay shrugs its shoulders at the hole-in-the-wall shoe store and buys those bad ass boots without missing a step or tripping on a lace.

If Samsung Pay had a problem that will keep you from using it, it’s that it doesn’t support enough credit or bank cards. At this time, Samsung is missing card support for Capital One, PayPal, and most of your smaller financial institutions. To see if your bank is supported, head over to Samsung Pay’s site.

The Galaxy S7, obviously, comes equipped with Samsung Pay. Ready to see the real future of mobile payments?

SD Card Returns

What happens when you have spent your entire smartphone existence pushing expandable storage, only to one day take it away without reason? The world explodes at all the bitching. Now, I get that Samsung probably wanted to increase those margins last year as its sales and profits stumbled, but taking away SD card storage in favor of breaking wallets over internal storage upgrades was not exactly the best move. This year, Samsung brought back the SD card slot and everyone can chill. Thanks, guys!

While we would love to have seen Samsung offer a 64GB or 128GB model out of the gate, I think most of us will be fine with 32GB storage now that we can expand it, move apps over, and go up as high as 200GB.

Water Resistance

Everyone bitched about this missing from last year as well, so Samsung brought water resistance back in the form of IP68. At IP68, you get a phone that is dust tight and that can be fully submerged in 1.5 meters of water for up to 30 minutes and it will still work. Samsung is using special “water protective” tape to adhere the glass to the body, created new technology to remove gaps between products as the phone is put together, and even tossed in rubber in the USB port, headphone jack, and SIM tray to prevent water from entering.

The phone isn’t technically “waterproof,” but it’s damn close at IP68.

Availability

In somewhat surprising fashion, Samsung announced the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge on February 21 and said the same day that they would be available in stores on March 11. They then opened up pre-orders on February 23 at all major US carriers, threw in a bunch of freebies (like Gear VR), and even allowed some carriers to ship them incredibly early. I can’t recall the last time a company this big announced a product and then placed it in their customers hands just over a week later. Many pre-orders arrived well before Samsung’s embargo had lifted on their little hand-chosen group of media outlets. It’s been a fun launch, to say the least.

Outside of the quick availability, the Galaxy S7 is also easy to find. Every US carrier has it, as does Best Buy and a number of other retailers. If you want an S7, you shouldn’t have any issue making one yours. There are BOGO deals here and there, contract options, monthly payment plans, and even unlocked units up for grabs through sellers on eBay.

Talk about a smooth launch, right?

Accessories

As long as Samsung continues to make phones, they are going to have the best options on Android when it comes to available accessories. Galaxy phones are like iPhones in that almost all of the major accessory makers will continue make cases and stands and chargers and anything else you can think of that someone might buy for a phone. That’s just what happens when you are the king of smartphone sales, like Samsung is.

If you want official Samsung accessories, you have tons of options, including fast wireless chargers, portable fast battery packs, cases, flip cases, snap-on keyboards, and even camera add-ons for telephoto and wide-angle shots. If you don’t care about official Samsung accessories and would like to buy off of Amazon on the cheap, your options are almost endless. Just go to Amazon and search for “Galaxy S7” and see for yourself.

Somewhere-in-the-Middle

Battery Life

Last year, I probably should have been harder on Samsung for the atrocious battery life I saw on the Galaxy S6. Part of me thought the Black Hole of Signal Death that I live in was to blame (and it partly was), but after seeing other flagship phones come across my desk over the rest of the year that were capable of getting me through a day and then some, it’s now obvious how bad the S6 really was.

With the Galaxy S7, Samsung has upped the battery capacity to 3000mAh (from 2550mAh) to try and fix that troublesome area. Have they? Eh, battery life is OK, maybe even borderline not so good. Or maybe me and Samsung phones just don’t get along. Honestly, I don’t know that I’ve ever had stellar battery life on any Samsung phone, including the Galaxy Note 5.

My stats show slightly below-average numbers for me as of late. I’ve been running a T-Mobile Galaxy S7 with a decent connection, switching between WiFi and LTE depending on the time of day, and I feel like I’m averaging around 11-13 hours on a charge, with 2.5 hours of screen on time. I will say that my battery life has gotten progressively better over the past week. It was pretty brutal in the early days, but seems to be more towards the 14-hour per charge range at the moment.

After talking to S7 Edge owners throughout the past couple of weeks who all keep saying that they are averaging 4-5 hours of screen on time, I just thought I was doing something wrong here. But other early S7 reviews all seem to be in line with what I’m seeing here from what I can tell. For whatever reason, the S7 just doesn’t push out top-tier battery life.

And look, I’ve tried to do everything in my power to extend this, including tweaking WiFi connection settings, ridding my phone of some of my favorite apps that could have been battery hogs (ex: theScore Sports), and even killed off Always-on Display. This is what I’m seeing – you decide what to do with the numbers.

TouchWiz

Even I can admit that Samsung’s TouchWiz, the skin the Korean manufacturer continues to place atop Android, has grown up in recent years. It’s still quite a bloated, iOS-look-alike mess in apps, but it is faster than ever, less overwhelming, and arguably too trim in select areas (like the app drawer). Samsung does things like let you apply themes through a theme store, giving you the ability to customize the look of your Galaxy and ridding the phone of Samsung’s tired UI and icon set. The stock Samsung apps for messaging, calls, and calendar are also improved too, but thankfully, this is Android and you can replace it all with other apps.

I can no longer sit here with a straight face and tell you that TouchWiz is the worst thing to ever attach itself to Android. It really isn’t. While it may not be an Android skin I would ever choose if I had a choice, it is much better than ever before. That may not be saying much, but at least Samsung is improving it these days.

For example, I like the custom shortcuts to popular settings you can set in the settings menu, the numerous options I can arrange in the quick settings pulldown, the Quick Launch shortcut to the camera, the additional compatibility with non-Samsung apps in Multi Window, separate controls for home and lock screens, all of the options for vibration intensity and pattern, and specific options in the “Backup and reset” menu for wiping phone and network settings back to defaults without fully resetting the phone.

The Not-so-Good

Samsung’s Track Record With Software Updates

I hate to go into this section and knock a phone for something that hasn’t even happened yet, but I feel like potential owners of the Galaxy S7 deserve to know Samsung’s background. From the beginning of time, Samsung has been one of the worst at Android updates. We keep hoping that they will get better, since everyone else (HTC, LG, and maybe even Motorola again) seems to be getting quite quick with updates these days. But if we look at the most recent major update to Android Marshmallow, it’s safe to say that Samsung isn’t interested in being quick. Samsung’s flagships from 2015 are just now receiving the update to Android 6.0, whereas flagships that are upwards of two years old from LG received it over a month ago. The rest of the flagships from HTC and Motorola and LG are all on 6.0 as well, while Samsung takes its sweet time.

I don’t know why Samsung is so terrible at updating phones. They have a couple of hundred thousand employees globally (via), so why they can’t put together a team to work on updates is beyond me. Just know this. If you buy the S7, don’t be shocked if you are one of the last on the planet to get the update to Android N. If you are OK with that, then so be it.

Other Notes

Pricing: The Galaxy S7 is a really expensive phone. Last year, the Galaxy S6 (which was also an expensive phone) started at around $600 off contract at Verizon. This year, the Galaxy S7 starts out at $672 at Verizon and can be found only slightly cheaper at Sprint for $650. Samsung put its best into this phone and you will pay for it.

No Removable Battery: The Galaxy S7, like the S6 and all of last year’s Galaxy phones, does not have a removable battery. If that’s a big deal to you, you still have the LG G5 on the horizon.

Calls: The Galaxy S7, like all phones, takes and places calls. It does a fine job at that. It does WiFi Calling too, depending on the carrier. That’s awesome too. I don’t have much else to say on that front. I had no issues receiving calls, placing them, or hearing the person on the other end. No one complained about my audio quality either.

Video

Unboxing

First 10 Things to do

vs. Nexus 6P vs. Galaxy Note 5 vs. Moto X Pure Edition

Always-on Display

Gallery

The Verdict

The Galaxy S7 is a really easy phone to recommend. It has everything you could want in a phone, including fixes for all of last year’s troublesome areas. But should you go out and buy one? That depends.

Are you on a 2-year old phone or one of HTC’s from the past three years? Then yes, you should probably consider buying the Galaxy S7. It will not disappoint and will be such a massive upgrade for you in the camera, design, and performance areas, that you may weep over the thought of your past 24 months.

Are you on a flagship from last year, like any of Samsung’s phones, the Nexus 6P, Moto X Pure Edition, or G4? Well, you probably don’t need to upgrade to the S7. Your phone is more than likely just finding its groove and should get you through at least another 6 months to a year, if not more. But hey, if you have tons of cash lying around to spend on the newest of the new, then go for it.

CollapseShowComments

bffhusker

Just unboxing S7. WHAT IS UP with the miniscule status bar? HOLY COW. I’m not that blind. Anyone else wonder why it is super small?

Paulo

Watch out guys,
Be careful with this phone, sold by Samsung in Europe saying
that is unlocked but is not true, I paid 830 EURs for an S7 Edge directly from
a Samsung vendor “ Worten “ and I was told that will work in anyplace in the
world with any SIM as long the first activation is done with an European SIM.
Work fine with several Telecom providers in Europe for a few days but when I
traveled to Latin America and inserted a Brazilian SIM the Phone stayed looked.
Still waiting from Samsung a solution, this guys are selling S7’s with Regional
Lock and saying that the Phones are Unlocked.

I have the S7 with AT&T. Get great battery life…after spending hours tweaking it just right withe Greenify and Package Disabler Pro. What a pain to research all the bloatware, but in the end, I have a phone that is “awake” in all the ways I want, and asleep in the ways that don’t bother me. I’m getting about 24 hours of use between charges, but Android System is using 37%, so something is still sucking juice…

Regarding QC 3.0, you overstate how much we miss it. There were notable speed improvements from stock to QC 1.0, then to 2.0. But the jump to 3.0 is, as you wrote, an “efficiency” upgrade. This doesn’t mean faster charging, per se, but rather less power lost and less heat generated during fast charge. Voltage and current have gone from stepping up in big chunks to being fluidly variable. I suppose that’s better, but it’s not really faster.

T S

i have an S7 Edge and it seems to have issues with having both wifi and bluetooth on. anybody else having this issue? only one seems to work at a time.

FrogVomit

I’d like to take a moment to thank all of the reviewers that have fawned over phones made with “high quality materials” so that we can now only buy phones that are so slippery and fragile that using a fat ugly rubber case is no longer optional. Thanks a lot! Actually, I still refuse to put a case on my phone, but I won’t be buying one with a glass back.

andrew401

meh with that chain of trust in the 820 this phone is useless to me.

disqus_ZuhNUCT2TY

3/16 – I’m still waiting on my S7 Edge (at&t) preorder at best buy ;(

neural_physics

Mine got delivered today :D. I pre ordered on the 5th. Waiting sucks but it is worth it bro.

Jayson Philbeck

Ever since the Nexus 6 and 6P, I have used primarily a Nexus phone (with a brief Note 5 and GS6 stint in between). This past weekend I was traveling and took well over 100 pictures. I was very, VERY disappointed in my Nexus 6P and do not think ‘stock Android’ is any smoother than Touchwiz.

My battery was awful, and needed to be recharged by lunchtime. I felt like I was on a GS6 (my wife’s GS6’s battery was about the exact same as my 6P). I Typically can do 7am-10PM with 2 hrs SOT about the time I hit 5% battery life left. That’s a ‘good day’ with a 6P. Taking pictures though REALLY takes a toll.

The camera app crashed a TON. This caused me to miss a lot of pictures. I don’t know if it is because of HDR+ doing all its stuff in the background, but I’d say I had about 5 times where the camera app crashed, the phone lagged out to a near reboot etc. Trying to relaunch the camera caused an error that said the camera was disconnected, etc. It was a mess.

Why do I say this? Because articles like this one make it sound like Nexus phones have no issues. After using one for 2.5 years as a daily driver, I beg to differ. They have JUST as many issues. (I get random lag/jank as well. No idea why but sometimes I just have to reboot the phone. Very frustrating because it will go from buttery smooth to a lag fast with no warning. Facebook may be the answer but if you can’t use a phone or have to pick your apps, then that’s pretty sorry for the state of Android as an OS).

ROB

Prefer closer to pure Android… That ir blaster was pretty cool feature though

Great review. Always maintained that while Sammy may have supplied the panels for the 6P, it is in no way exactly the same as the one in the Note 5. S7’s looks to be even nicer still.

jim

The way phones are now, it’s not like you are waiting on a ton of new features, so updates now don’t bother me if the are slow, just got marshmallow on our Verizon note 5s and its not crazy different.

Rod

Bla bla

Always the same argument.

jim

What argument dufus

Rod

I find it unlikely that people don’t care about updates.

Jesse

In 6 years I’ve had a Droid X and the Galaxy S4–finally ready for my next 3 year phone. Is this the best option or should I hold a little longer this year and see if something else better/more ground-breaking is on its way? I like to make my phones last (obviously) so I’m trying to hold off if I’m going to end up kicking myself 3 months later.

Grady

The best phone on the planet, its high time the tech writers stop comparing phones to the childish looking and oh so ancient iphone. A proper flagship should have the best screen money can buy. The iphone has a 720p screen in 2016 the samsung is Qhd 4gb ddr4 ram to 2gb ddr3 ram, no ois on the iphone 6s camera, WHAT THE!!! the galaxy s7 has it and waterproofing and wireless charging a qhd screen the latest 14nm processor a Qhd screen and all round samsung pay that makes apple pay look useless. The S7 is the the phone thats the top end phone to be judged against, at least the shares in its company want be a deciding factor.

Rod

So, specs are all a smartphone is about?

callumshell1

“Are you on a 2-year old phone? Then yes, you should probably consider buying the Galaxy S7.”
um no thanks, my LG G2 is still going strong. I highly doubt that the S7 would be worth the absurd amount of money.

Falcon

If you can’t afford it its fine, just don’t be absurd in justifying with “my G2 is going strong”, Its not going strong, its trying though, Hard !!

trwb

I don’t understand the battery part. I think most people will probably avg 4hrs screen on time with this phone.

The Doctor

The IP68 rating is reason enough to buy this phone.

Terry Barnhill

This is from the S7 Edge which does have a 20% larger battery, but still.

Holy hell! What type of settings are you running? Is your auto brightness off, all wifi, no Bluetooth etc…

Terry Barnhill

That’s the really crazy thing. I’m not really trying to conserve the battery other than closing out apps. Auto brightness is on, on wifi most of the day except for going out to eat and running errands. About an hour of listening to Google Play Music on Bluetooth. A YouTube video here or there. Instagram and Facebook occasionally. In other words using the phone as I normally would. Today I’ve been on the phone more so my total time off charger is going to be lower but I’m going to be close to 8 hours of screen time.

Here are mine from yesterday and I pretty much did everything I wanted also some GPM, TV show on Tidal, texts, email, random chrome use, and battling with a wonky photo locker app…I can inch out a few more hours with some tweaks but I’m happy, I literally never made it thru a workday without charging my phone until the S7

*Your 1000mah screen use is comparable to my 615mah 27% vs 20% all in all I love it

Nope, it’s not like the 6P or 5X or OnePlus 2. It’s like the iPhone, where you have to wake your phone before it’ll read.

Ryan

I’ve not used a Nexus 6P so I’m not certain of the difference, but on my note 5 I put my finger on the sensor and push which unlocks the phone. On the 6P I believe you just put your finger on the sensor as you do not click the sensor.

James Cooper

Sounds like the snapdragon 820 isn’t the 40% it claimed to be.

Tyler Durden

Kellen is the only person with battery issues I’ve seen. Everybody else has a few issues but nothing like that. They still got 4 hours + SOT.

Seb

Today I have 3 hrs SOT with 14 hours of usage and still 40 percent left. And I have the regular s7! The battery is much much better than what I used to get on my s6. So I am a happy customer. And people with the s7 edge are seeing even better battery life

cdm283813

I loss so much interest in this phone it’s not funny. First issue is lack of updates, second is the price and third is that they took away the IR blaster. When Android N gets released I would feel nothing but regret from this phone.
I bagged LG heavy with the G5 but I’m actually looking forward to it. It’s still a ugly phone but nothing a case won’t fix.

Falcon

About the updates, I guess the reason they were so slow to push 6.0 to 2015 flagships is because they were working to fix the lag & bad memory issues of 5.1.1, besides if you didnt notice the software on the S7 is identical to the S6 (apart from some features), which means that they probably were taking stuff from the ROM of the S7 as it was in development, i guess this year will be the real judge of updates since it looks like they settled for a design language, still crossing my fingers tho 🙂

cdm283813

But that does not explain why Motorola, HTC and LG beat Samsung in the update race. They also had to deal with the same 5.1.1 issues. Samsung makes the most money than all 3 combined and they still can’t figure out how to update phones.
Samsung needs to copy Apple and update all phones themselves without carrier involvement. That’s part of the problem right there.

Falcon

True, but samsung had to really step up there software game, look at the S4/S5, that was atrocious, the others not so much change from the design language, but under the hood improvements took way too long for samsung, because their phones have the most amount of features amongst the OEMs you mentioned so it took them time to implement everything without hindering performance. I guess they found a solid ground this year. & hopefully they will copy apple in updates 🙂

Although I love the look the the S6 and S7, the metal and glass make it so slippery. It’s like holding a piece of soap at times.

netanil

Case or skin cures that cheaply and in minutes.

Daniel Russell

I have a skin, and that doesn’t help too much. And the case defeats the purpose of having an aesthetically pleasing phone. Although I use a case when I go running or I am worried about it slipping out of my hands.

I thought my battery was just ok and was almost gonna complain but I am getting rougly 12hrs and just under 4hrs of SOT…Today with podcasting for an hr, navigation for an hr, Tidal for 3hrs+, and the usual email, text, I got 8hrs with 4hrs 11min of SOT and started charging at 15%…All LTE the gubment refuse to give us the WiFis in our building.
I know this means nothing without a screenshot but I will update the post after I run it down again.

I was willing to jump back on the Samsung boat with the S7 Edge, but after all the Android N features coming out, I don’t know anymore. Personally, this is where I stand with the S7 (Edge and normal):
+Great Camera
+Fast (although with an 820 any phone this year will have great performance)
+Water resistant
+Samsung Pay. I’ve used Android Pay a total of about 3 times, and it’s super convenient. Samsung Pay would be moreso, I imagine.
As for the negatives…:
-Tacky design. I don’t care that it’s metal, I don’t want to use a piece of jewelry as a phone. This is also completely subjective.
-Software. This goes with the whole Android N thing. There’s so many cool features that we as techies just would never see. Could be wrong, but I haven’t seen different with Marshmallow.
-Adoptable storage. 32GB default and no adoptable storage makes for a confusing judgement. Some may not really be crazy about it, especially with Samsung’s default storage being crazy fast, but that is really limiting.
-No unlocked model. No Verizon, I don’t want you to take features out of a phone and implant your own outdated bullcrap.

Given all this, I’d go for Nexus but I’m gonna wait to see what comes out this summer. The 6P I’m still definitely considering.

Daniel Russell

What’s so desirable about Android N? Samsung already has multiwindow (not as good as the new implementation) and quick access to quick toggles.

Ismail Akram

Stock keeps things running even faster yes it does

Jonathan

Either you don’t care, or you didn’t see it (I’m assuming the former, but will cater to the later) when I shared this before. In this article you said… “Samsung dropped to 12MP, because they are using a new sensor with this “Dual Pixel” technology that also captures bigger micron pixels. The camera is now capturing 1.4 micron pixels, up 56% in size from the micron pixels of the S6, which should allow for the sensor to capture more light in darker moments, and overall, perform better in tough situations.” A slight correction… cameras don’t capture pixels. In fact, the pixels DO the capturing (of light).

Missed it before and have corrected. I’m no camera guru, that’s for sure heh. I guess my mind always runs to “camera capturing pixels” because we count pixels in a resolution and think of PPI, if that makes sense. But I do see what you mean.

seattle tech

The curved back is a big increase in phone comfort but I would like for it to have even more of a curve. Hold the s7 edge backwards and you will know what I mean.

Joel

I’ve had the S7 Edge for a week now and could not be happier. Camera is redic. Seriously. Coming from a 2014 Moto X the camera is simply amazing. I’m also enjoying Samsung Pay more than I expected and battery exceptional for my use. (not a gamer) Slap on Nova and this is finally a phone that I can call nearly perfect.

Scott Ricketts

Waiting on the G5 review. The battery life and lack of updates is killing me on the s6e.

drcaveman

I get perplexed by battery life on Samsung Stuff sometimes, my S6edge barely went 6 hours on battery with around an hour of SOT, that’s after going through three replacement phones. Changed to the Note 5 with its 15% larger battery and, my battery life went up 400% it makes no sense to me at all. I suspect that is what is happening between the S7 and S7edge. It has to be different tweaks in the software. That or samsung phones just respond really well to minor bumps in battery.

It’s such a weird situation. Note 5 with its 3000mAh battery wasn’t great for me, but I believe it to be better than this. And yeah, the jump of 600mAh to the Edge shouldn’t mean so much extra battery just for Edge users. Samsung phones…they are odd.

Shadowstare

If you’ve seen me comment before, I’m a HTC fan. I’m on the FEW owners and lovers of the M9. My wife upgraded her Nokia Icon to the Galaxy S7 Edge. After using the S7E’s camera, I can say with all certainty, The S7E’s camera might be the best I’ve ever used. Beats the Icon’s and beats my M9’s by a mile. I hate Samsung, but I can’t front on the camera. Its incredible.

seattle tech

M9 camera is about 3 generations back

Shadowstare

That’s mean. Accurate but mean. lol.

Erick

I like these initial reviews of the S7. Glad to see they’ve listened a bit and included SD support as well. Though to be fair, I’ll hold off a bit later in its life to see what updates are like for the phone. Having both a Note 4 and a Nexus 6, it’s quite amusing the stark differences the two phones are when it comes to getting the latest updates. Despite both phones being quite decent (for their time), 2 years later, I’m still using a Nexus 6 with several Marshmallow updates, I’m still able to get Android N (preview) if I want it. My Note 4 hasn’t even gotten Marshmallow yet.

Yes, despite it all, I still use the Note 4 from time to time because its camera is decided superior, and that does drive my interest in the S7 or Note 6 down the line. However, learning from my past experiences, I’ll be watching more carefully for Samsung’s support for these phones before finalizing my decision.

Ryan savini

Got the edge 2 days ago and have so far loved every bit of it! I do miss a few things from my Moto x 2014 (Active display, moto voice, back button in the correct location), but other than that, I am very happy with my upgrade. Only thing that I have noticed, is that the call quality on mine sucks. Every call that I have made so far sounds janky (Call goes in and out, sounds tinny) even with full service, HD voice on and off. Hoping it is just my phone and I can replace it for a quick fix

Have you held it? Last year’s edge was dang near a blade, this year it feels real nice.

Seb

Wish people stuck to more constructive comments instead of wasting everyone’s time. I have a galaxy s7 and I get about 12-14 hours with 4hrs SOT. Now, there are a group of people on the forums claiming they are getting better battery life. And the problem seems to be that for some reason a large number of users are seeing android OS and android system battery consumption of about 20% each!! According to some users this is excessive and it is causing battery drain even when the phone is not being used.

I have been googling this issue with marshmallow an some zony xperia users are claiming they are suffering from the same problem. So far only the users with the Snapdragon 820 say they have this problem. So I think international users are getting fairly better results because they dont see this problem!

Additionally, users (myself included) are pointing out that Gear VR and Knox are draining too much battery even when theyhave never been used ( they are part of android system) which could be causing this problem

Good_Ole_Pinocchio

Dunno. Anand’s results show the Samsung Chip getting considerably better battery life. So there may be something going on.

Seb

Yeah I saw that too. Well right now I am on 10 hrs with 3 hrs on screentime and 40% of battery left! I have a galaxy s7 from T-mobile as well. I deactivated some of the bloatware (through app settings) and turned off wificalling and volte(I don’t really need them).

Today is my second day with the phone. Even galaxy s7 edge users see the high android os battery drainage but no one is sure if this is actually impacting battery life much ( because they see a good battery life regardless)

IgotGAME

I have an S7 Edge and also see Android System and Android OS at the top of Battery usage, but I am still getting great battery life from my perspective. I wonder what the Exynos S7 / S7 Edge User battery usage screen looks like at the end of the day when it comes to how much battery Android System and OS use?

Jason

if you want constructive comments, you’re wasting your time here. i find that reddit is more helpful. not hating on droid-life – it serves its’ purpose, but definitely should take what people say here with a grain of salt.

jnt

Screw you. Nexus4Life!!

seattle tech

The exynos chip results are showing to be superior to the 820 in almost every metric. battery , performance, heat etc. Even in graphics the eyxnos appears to be able to sustain peak performance much longer. I am experiencing high usage of android system and android os too but I still get 6-7 hours screen time

Seb

Do you have the s7 or the s7 edge? I think I will get 4 or 5 hours SOT with 14 hrs. Which IMO is much much better than what I got with my s6 ( 10 to 12 hrs with 2 hrs and a half SOT)

seattle tech

Sorry edge

Seb

see that makes sense! those are the battery stats most people are seeing!!

I should have the Exynos S7 here shortly. Can’t wait to see if my battery numbers are any different.

Seb

I’m actually curious too! Ok so on my S7 on my second day I got 17 hours of use. With 4 hrs and a half Sot. With moderate use: browsing, instagram snapchat, messaging, emails synching and some YouTube and Spotify

With Dev Support being next to 0 on this phone, I am just going to hold on to my aging dinosaur- LG-G3 (currently on MM Exodus ROM)

seattle tech

Some of the monkeys that are on xda editorial are samsung haters. Aosp on a current samsung device is a huge downgrade. They international model is bootloader unlocked

Falcon

Yeah, just like they did with Nexus Tablet, that one was a home run, they couldn’t even make decent volume & power buttons + damn low quality screen with abdominal light bleed

Guest

I think a bad would be the backwards capacitive buttons.

Zeromus2003

Agree whole-heartily! Its bad enough they are capacitive, but being backwards is just crazy…. deal-breaker all day!

Ryan savini

pisses me off so bad! going to take a lot of getting used to

seattle tech

Must be all samsung noobs. Don’t worry once you adjust the back button is in the perfect place

Murphy’s Magnet

I think it is like any change. You just have to get used to it. I’m still trying to to find the power button on the back and double tap the screen to turn it off after using LG phones for a few years.

PoisonApple31

Change? The change was putting the back button to the left of the home button again like on the OG Droid – whenever Google decided to flip flop again. After the OG Droid most phones had the back button to the right of the home button, just like Samsung has maintained for years now.

Falcon

I used an SGS4 then moved to Oneplus one which had the same setup of keys, and now back to the S7Edge, can’t wait :D, but you will adjust, give it time 🙂

Daniel Russell

I prefer it. I use the back button much more than multitasking.

DanG

I’m more used to the backward buttons, so it feels weird to me to use the right one.

Jay Ochs

why? majority of people are right handed, and rather than stretching your thumb over to the left and having to hold the phone weird just to hit the back button is counter intuitive. that’s one of the reasons i would have to root any nexus device right off the bat, so i can install a mod to swap them.

CapitAl One has actually reached out to have me fix it before heh. I’LL. BE. BETTER. Hopefully.

androidlover

Confused as to why “design” isn’t listed in the not so good. Ya’ll need to wake up. Putting a phone in metal doesn’t make it a good looking phone. All of Samsung’s phones are ugly. And it’s not just that ugly stupid home button. The iPhones have a home button and they really are beautifully designed phones. I just don’t see that in Samsung. Not sure how anyone does.

Eric

You should consider changing your name

Good_Ole_Pinocchio

That’s just your opinion. And you know why they’re called opinions… Don’t you?

krubby

I think it looks like a great looking device

Synacks

Funny considering everyone was calling the S6 line “iPhone 6 clones” and the S7 is nearly the same. How can a phone look bad if its clone looks so good?

MJ

I agree 100% here… Personally, I have no interest in an Android phone that is a knock-off of an iPhone appearance wise.

Why would I want fingerprints on the front and the back of my phone again?

seattle tech

Looks like you are looking for things to hate on the s7. People that are using it day to day are loving it.

MJ

Cool story bro!

I have also noticed Samsung users are becoming a cult just like their iPhone counterparts. What? You don’t like the new iPhone/Sx phone? I must get the new iPhone/Sx phone!

Butane87

I have no bias towards any device as I have owned most of them but I’m pretty sure there is a cult for just about any kind of device. Nexus, Samsung, Motorola, HTC (although small), LG and yes don’t forget apple.

charles rogers

Have you missed the Nexus Cult?

MJ

Nexus users are all about stock Android and not the phones themselves so much… Case in point, I have owned a couple of Nexus phones (N5 right now) but the Nexus 6 and Nexus 5X sucked and while the 6P is a pretty good phone I couldn’t justify $600 for it so returned it. I am right now considering the LG G5… Nexus users are much more discriminating than any iPhone or Samsung fanboy to be a true cult.

t0ked

Naah. I find Nexus fanboys to be the worst of the bunch. Yeah it has a worse screen, worse battery life, mediocre camera, build quality is below par, but stock Android!!!! LOL

Falcon

desperate times, desperate measures, haters gonna hate 😀

Grayson

You think this is a knock-off of the iPhone appearance wise? I’m sorry, but are you blind? No, I take that back, I’m not sorry. I’m just sad for you.

MJ

Oh yeah… The home button is oval on Samsung phones instead of round. #facepalm

Please note… This doesn’t mean I agree with the Apple lawsuits but Samsung phones do look more like iPhones then Nexus/LG/Moto phones. FACT!

Grayson

Those lawsuits were over the design of the Galaxy S1 and a few other REALLY old phones. They have nothing to do with the S7 or any of Samsung’s phones from the past several years. Not to mention Apple lost in the end and had some of their parents invalidated.

Gudbella

Apple’s parents were invalidated? Ah ha ha ha….

MJ

No one knows how to read here huh? I did say didn’t agree with the lawsuits… The point is Apple didn’t sue Samsung because their phones didn’t look anything like their iPhones.

Gudbella

Dude you’ve got me wrong…. I was just pointing out the spelling mistake… Nothing else…. “Parents”!!!

MJ

I did realize what you were trying to say when was typing up my post and thought I hadn’t “clicked” post but I guess did. My bad…

Gudbella

Never mind….

Grayson

Does that make Apple a bastard? 😛

Miguel

What’s wrong with the design, everyone is actually praising what Sammy did after the S5 debacle, this phone doesn’t look like the iPhone or any other phone out there.

t0ked

My opinion, the S7 is one of the most beautiful phones out there. Iphones s are pretty but Samsung hit a honeymoon with this one. Only other phone that comes close to looking as nice are HTC one phones. Majority of Android phones just feel cheap. G5 and most Nexus phones come to mind.

There are already huge deals out there though. Sounding like s broken record from other threads, but example staples has a $400 rebate dropping the price to a reasonable $280 (Verizon only new lines). This is not a contract plan price but dpp price.
If you are are on Verizon and want to add a line this is a good price I think

No you are incorrect. it is NOT a 2 year contract price. It is only through the DPP. Trust me, I have been watching and contributing on the thread you linked above, and I also replicated this exact same deal only for $250 off a 1/2 off price S6 just last week. This is why it is such a HUGE deal. It is NOT on a contract. $260 out the door after rebate (well, before taxes etc.

You are better than I in linking stuff, but in the thread you have one of the very last posts (posted within the last hour or so) has multiple pictures. He reposted the same one, which I agree is confusing because it applies to the contract price, but then has three more that includes a picture for the $400 DPP rebate.

The actual debate on that thread if it you would be able to get both the $400 s7 rebate and the separate $250 generic new smartphone rebate. I highly doubt you could.

It is a good deal of you like the phone and want to keep it. Not sure it works well if you are trying to buy and flip it.

demarcmj

Yea. I don’t think the $250 would work. Someone posted the deal details in that thread and they very specifically say that the S7/S7Edge get $400 and “All OTHER smartphones receive a $250 prepaid Visa.” Not sure why everyone in the 30 pages of that thread seems to have missed this.http://i.imgur.com/EGnZVxM.jpg

krubby

I agree, I made a comment to the same over on that thread a few times. A few times I feel like that guy yelling into the mic “Is this thing on???”

Still Staples stores are not the brightest bulb in the box when it comes to mobile device sales, and I think a few are hopeful for both. Which I would never bank on

Anyway, if you like Verizon and if you need a NEW line, this still seems like a killer deal.

I just got a droid turbo 2 2-3 months ago. Had I not I might really be looking at this a lot more closely.

krubby

Details from the rebate:

Rebate:

Galaxy S7 or S7 Edge, monthly device payment plan

Details:

$400.00 Rebate Visa Prepaid Card

Learn more about the Rebate Visa Prepaid Card

Purchase dates:

03-11-2016 through 04-02-2016

Postmark date:

Purchase Date Plus 60 Days

Promotion:

Get a $400 Visa (R) Prepaid Card on a
new Galaxy S7 or S7 Edge, on a NEW monthly payment plan (SKUs 2070714,
2070712, 2070710, 2070656, 2070654) at Staples Stores ONLY

MJ

Yeah, I still have no interest in a Samsung phone… The ugly ass home button (and the capacitive buttons) is a no go for me and the poor implementation of the fingerprint scanner and always-on display doesn’t help at all. I am sure the display is great but 5.1″ is just to small for me.

USB Type-C and a removable battery is more important to me than water resistance (still no showering with the phone I guess) so I rather spend $100 less (or so) for the LG G5 when it comes out.

Logic says…

So go with the bigger screen on the edge. Or why did you even clock on the link when we pretty much already knew what was being offered this year?

MJ

That doesn’t fix the other things I don’t care for on the S7 and really hate the whole Edge gimmick as much as the home button and… Huh?

WAldenIV

Last year the reversed capacitive buttons on the S6 were part of my decision to go with the G4. The removable battery (and free spare battery with charger) has been a huge bonus.

Vincent

The S7 edge is stellar. Awesome battery life.
I tried the normal S7 and i would seriously suggest everyone to take the edge version, if your hands can take the bigger size.

And it’s not really that big, right? Or maybe I’m just getting used to the monster phones, but the size of the Edge is actually quite nice.

IgotGAME

Yea it doesn’t feel big at all. I had a Note 3 so this was a MASSIVE upgrade for me and the size is better for the pocket and it’s lighter. As for battery life, yea I have no complaints there…I’ve also noticed my battery life has improved (I’ve had the phone a full week now) since the first day. I mean just look at this…and I used the Gear VR for about 15-20 minutes this day. Matte Black theme ALL THE WAY…dark is better. I use auto brightness too in case anyone is wondering.

C Shwizzel

What is that theme actually called? Not seeing anything called Matte Black. Thanks!

IgotGAME

Try Mattblack…that’s what it says in my Theme Manager area.

C Shwizzel

Got it. Thanks!

jbworldwide1

I like big phones but I thought 5.7 was the sweet spot. Nah, Samsung nailed it with this size.

Vincent

I don’t think it’s too big, no. There are some moments, when I use it with one hand, that I struggle getting to the top left.

They did a good job cramming that 5.5 inch screen in such a small body.

LeVvE

I struggle to get to the upper half even on a 5″ screen.

Oliver Chen

exyno version is getting crazy good battery life while sd820 is barely get through a day

Eager to hear about it and how it compares in term of battery, performance heat

Tyler Durden

My 820 model is stellar and even better than the Exynos one.

Scott Bell

I got one day 20 hours with 4 hours SOT my first cycle on a nomal s7.

AdamJay

I’m late to the convo here, but this is just wrong. I’m at 1 day, 15 hours on battery with 4 hours 12 minutes of SOT with 21% remaining. The Exynos may have better battery life, but the 820 version can easily get through a day and is more than enough for most people.

I bought coming from the note 4..son has the note 5 and wife the 6 edge +…although just .2 inches smaller screen the difference was incredible! I mean it feels like I’m holding a much smaller phone, even though it’s considered the “phablet(hate that word) ” category.

VAVA Mk2

That’s what she said

Vincent

She takes it like a pro.

Shadowstare

I hate the way the edge feels in the hand. I want more to grip on the sides. The screen and weight are awesome, but those sides are weird to feel. Plus its just too slippery to me.

Vincent

I use a tech21 Evo case. Gives good protection. And improves the grip a bit.

charles rogers

that is my only complaint i neeed more to hold. getting a case today that im praying helps.

neural_physics

Well no wonder, the sides are super duper thin. A case is almost a must for the s7 edge.

I’m actually going to go with the S7 after being on the Note series since the Note 1. I did use an S3 for a good while. My main daily driver went Note 1, S3, Note 3, Note 4, Note 5 and now I’m going with the S7. I wanna go back to a more manageable screen size and the S-Pen hasn’t been used as much as it was in the past for me.

Good_Ole_Pinocchio

FINALLY! WOO!… No Wonder It took so long! . . . I’ll be taking a break from my “Job” now to take a read.

burkett375

Without reading the article:

Dear God…a puddle and face down on a rock paver???

Nicholas Ringhiser

I’d assume there is a thin piece of material that he is using to place under the phone to protect it from the ground before taking a photo…but I could be wrong.

I never thought so. The truth is there’s no reason to if you are careful. Just touching a rock is not going to scratch the glass because the phone isn’t heavy enough to apply that much pressure, only scraping against the rock would be bad for it. Besides, these are mostly review units that they just send back anyways.

TC Infantino

LOL You must be fairly new to DL. This has become somewhat of an unofficial tradition. They almost always take at least one pic of each new phone face down on dirt, concrete, or rocks of some sort. The fact that it is in a puddle, I would guess, is to show off that it is water resistant.

WAldenIV

I’m impressed by the strange halo around the phone.

Tully

S7, S7 Edge and more is now on sale only at NewSmartphoneDeals:com

facutopa

And, what happen if I come from a Nexus 4 and I want buy a new Smartphone? Nexus 6P or Samsung S7 or iPhone 6s

Want updates (and a giant phone)? 6P. Want the premium of all premium smartphones and a hell of a camera? S7 or S7 Edge. Want to hate life? iPhone.

Eric

If you really hate life, go Windows Phone

MJ

Well if you like a stock Android phone then the 6P is a no brainier or wait to see if the next Nexus comes out in summer otherwise I like the LG G5… It’s the most similar to the 6P/Nexus phones but with a SD820.

DanG

iPhone sure will let you know the true meansing of boring.

Lunkman

Legit question from someone who isn’t overly concerned with camera and currently has a 2014 Moto X- S7, Nexus 6P, or Moto X Pure? $$$ is not an overwhelming factor- but damn the current $299 offer is tempting…

Jprime

Iphone

MJ

Well if you like a stock Android phone then the 6P is a no brainier or wait to see if the next Nexus comes out in the summer otherwise I like the LG G5… It’s the most similar to the 6P/Nexus phones but with a SD820.